Investigation Finds No Bias Against Asians in U.S. Labs

By James Glanz

An investigation by the Energy
Department's inspector
general concludes that scientists
of Asian descent seeking security
clearances were not subject to
racial profiling in the wake of the
Wen Ho Lee case.

The finding, which was made
public this week, rebutted
widespread accusations of bias by
the scientists and by
Asian-American organizations
outside the laboratories, and
seemed to contradict much of a
study issued last year by a special
Energy Department commission
on racial profiling. That study
compiled numerous reports of racial bias in the treatment of
Asian and Asian- American scientists at the laboratories as a
result of the charges against Dr. Lee, who eventually pleaded
guilty to one count of mishandling nuclear secrets at the Los
Alamos National Laboratory.

But the new report by the inspector general, Gregory H.
Friedman, concluded that the information reviewed by his office
"did not support concerns regarding unfair treatment based on
national origin."

The inspector general's report had a narrower focus than the
special commission's, examining a handful of complaints
involving security clearance at the laboratories. The inspector
general said that the Energy Department's ombudsman, Dr.
Jeremy Wu, who deals with claims of racial profiling, had
declined to identify several scientists with complaints, citing
confidentiality.

The inspector general's report did note that Dr. Wu "stated his
belief that there are `strong and continuing allegations about
bias and profiling.' "

The investigation was ordered last November by Bill
Richardson, then the secretary of energy. But an Energy
Department official who is familiar with the report said that
because Dr. Wu had declined to identify his sources, the
investigation focused on just four cases involving Asian and
Asian-American scientists whose security clearances had been
either revoked or not renewed for a time.

"The facts that we have are the facts that we have," the official
said. "We are not commenting on the overall climate on
questions of discrimination in the national laboratories."

Some scientists and other observers of the laboratories said
the report was more likely to confuse rather than to clarify the
racial environment at the laboratories, which are operated by
the Energy Department.

"There are severe limitations on the scope of this investigation,
which I would say undercut its conclusion," said Steven
Aftergood, director of the project on government secrecy at the
Federation of American Scientists, a private group that monitors
national security. "It did not investigate any of the complaints
that the ombudsman has received."

Both Dr. Wu and Mr. Richardson were traveling today and
could not be reached for comment. But Joseph H. Davis, an
Energy Department spokesman, said Energy Secretary
Spencer Abraham was reviewing the inspector general's
findings.

"The secretary has said that he will continue to work with our
many ethnic groups to ensure that their many concerns about
racial profiling are met," Mr. Davis said.

The report's conclusions provoked conflicting reactions at Los
Alamos. John Gustafson, a Los Alamos spokesman, said that
while Dr. John C. Browne, the laboratory director, had not yet
reviewed the report in detail, "certainly the bottom-line
conclusion is an encouraging one."

"Absolutely, the laboratory did not and does not engage in
racial profiling," Mr. Gustafson said.

Dr. Aaron Lai, a climate researcher at Los Alamos and a
naturalized citizen born in Taiwan, said procedures for granting
security clearances to Asian scientists had recently improved.
But Dr. Lai said that during the period covered by the report,
Asians and Asian-Americans at Los Alamos would agree that
there was "very strong bias, very strong discrimination."

Those accusations of bias led to calls by Asian-American
organizations for a boycott of the national laboratories, urging
Asian scientists not to accept jobs there, widespread protests
and a discrimination complaint against Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory by Asian employees. The complaint is
pending at the California Department of Fair Employment and
Housing, said Jack W. Lee, a San Francisco lawyer
representing the employees.

Without commenting on the specifics of that case, Mr. Davis
said Mr. Abraham planned to send a strongly worded
memorandum to department employees on Monday declaring
that he would combat any trace of profiling in the Department of
Energy.

"Any practice of racial profiling shall be eliminated and
prevented from occurring in the department," the memorandum
reads, Mr. Davis said. "Sound management must be practiced
throughout D.O.E. to create and maintain a respectful and
productive work environment free of profiling, discrimination
and fear."